Introduction

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Our Institute has a long tradition of successfully linking government and private organizations. The Institute has done this through studies and applied research to solve a wide variety of engineering problems that require a high level of qualified engineers. This has contributed to the country's major water projects, and the development of building codes, standards and technical manuals in major infrastructure projects, to name a few.

However, the Institute of Engineering is not known for being particularly productive in terms of technology, understanding it as the achievement of patents, technology development and transfer to users. This form of engagement, a subsequent step in connection with research, is scarce in the UNAM and Mexico, resulting largely from a chronic lack of essential elements to form an efficient innovation system.

The Institute of Engineering, based on its experience and work in applied research, could be a leader in Mexico in the generation of patents and their transfer to industry. The research developed in the Institute, including some projects already completed and filed, are elements susceptible to industrial protection that would lead to the registration of several patent applications. However, this will not happen unless we act to disseminate academic staff a culture of technological innovation and industrial property.

To move in this direction and as discussed in the Institute's development plan, the Unit for Patent and Technology Transfer was created in 2009. The aim of this unit, under the direction of the Academic Secretary, is to help protect industrial property and research carried out in our institute with innovative technological elements, in order to achieve their transfer to industry. This unit, integrated by Rodrigo Cárdenas, Arturo Espinosa and engineer Gustavo Sanchez Chain, is responsible for industrial property and technology transfer, as well as for providing academic staff with support upon request. On one hand, it supports the protection of industrial property by assessing the patentability of inventions developed and drafting corresponding patent applications, and secondly, by providing the necessary assistance to achieve the transfer of technology products, processes or services (PPS) to the productive sector through advice and direct support in the preparation of documents to bring together the technology package, as well as the negotiation of technology licensing according to the university legislation.

The incursion of the Institute more decisively in this area may increase the impact of our academic work, not only in the formation of high-level personnel and the publication of results, but in terms of contributions to our national technological heritage.